My friend Lauren has spent the last several months on a big ole life adventure with her husband. It has taken them far and wide, and I wanted you to hear about her experience. Below are her words.
My yoga adventure began five years ago in the generous, haven-like space of a friend’s living room. It was in that space, among friends and a patient teacher, where I experienced yoga as a practice of restoration, contemplation and peace. Since then I have practiced in many studios, various styles and different teachers, but the space of my yoga mat has remained a space of rest.
While yoga can mean many things to many different people (not surprising given its ancient roots and myriad evolutions), there are a couple of general misconceptions that people tend to have of yoga. The first is that it is just another form of physical exercise. The word yoga means union. The practice of yoga is the practice of finding unity between body, mind and spirit. While it can be isolated to the physical level (asana), a genuine experience of yoga leads most people to experience their practice in body, mind and spirit. They might have tighter abs, but they also experience more accessible rest. As well as touching their toes, they find themselves more ready to extend grace.
The second misconception is that yoga is a religion. One of my favorite definitions calls yoga a technology. Like any other technology, it is a means rather than an end and can be applied to any lifestyle, faith or worldview. This does not mean that the practice of yoga will not affect your beliefs or lifestyle, but it is not a single filter through which the world is seen.
My yoga practice has affected my lifestyle in both subtle and obvious ways. Nine months ago, I moved with my husband from Bloomington, Indiana and hit the road for a year of travel and adventure. Through a growing mindfulness in my yoga practice, I had become aware that I needed some breathing room in life. As I continued my practice, I was not only aware of it, but I was able to move forward and act.
That decision has led me to new cities, old friends, long road trips, odd jobs, a yoga teacher training and finally to Costa Rica where I now teach yoga, cultivate a garden and cook bountiful meals for guests at The Yoga Farm. Through this journey I have experienced the generosity of my community. I have given vision to my dreams and goals, and I have simplified the tools I need to maintain and achieve them. Yoga is not the only thing that has sustained me through this year, but it has been the haven and the consistency that keeps me going.
One thing I have learned from yoga comes from the first words of the Yoga Sutras, “And now yoga”. This tiny phrase speaks to the power of the present moment, when shadows from the past and anxieties of the future melt into the contentment of now. I continue to experiment with that challenge when I miss the comforts of home or when I become anxious about what comes next. When I step onto my mat I give precedence to where my body, mind and spirit are in that moment and my anxieties are put into perspective.
I have also learned that life is practice and practice is life. Time on my yoga mat is time when I can observe the ways that I respond to the things that I encounter, whether tightness in my hips, weakness in my legs or shortness of breath. If I respond with frustration and impatience, it is a reflection of how I respond to a difficult relationship or situation off the mat. If my shoulders are hunched over and achy I know I need to open my chest and open my heart with love and compassion toward others and myself. I remember that just as I return to my mat day after day without expecting perfection, so my experience of life is a practice. Every day offers a fresh chance to return, to listen and to be present, without the expectation that I will always get it right.
Puravida and Namaste!
